All Posts by phil nickinson

Ask us to define art, and we'll tell you this: We know it when we see it. And tucked deep inside the Android 2.3 Gingerbread SDK is this little ... gem. Can't decide if we're going to have nightmares, or chuckle ourselves to sleep at its awesomeness. It's buried way down at platforms/android-9/data/res/drawable-nodpi/platlogo.jpg in the Gingerbread SDK, and woe is the person who has it pop up on...

Google Andy Rubin whipped out a prototype tablet tonight at the D: Dive Into Mobile conference. That it's a prototype Motorola tablet running Honeycomb is special enough. But it's what he was doing on it that sounds pretty cool. First up was Google Maps. And if there's one thing that frustrates us above all else with Google Maps, it's all that damned tiling, never mind how good our network...

This is one that most of us here in the United States take for granted. Android 2.2 supports 26 languages, or variants thereof. Android 2.3 Gingerbread more than doubles that at 57. And atop the list is Arabic -- one that's been atop Google's own AOSP wish list for quite some time. So, yes, Gingerbread supports Arabic, and a whole bunch of new languages. Peep the list below. We're more global...

Android 2.3 Gingerbread and the Samsung Nexus S? You guys are nearly blowing up our forums. We had to order extra hamsters and wheels. It's nuts. It's insane. And it's freakin' awesome. Here are but a few topics du jour:Win a Nexus S - First and foremost, we're giving one away, shipping it anywhere in the continental United States. All you have to do is post in this thread.Gingerbread a yawner?...

The Motorola Droid X is on the cusp of getting an update for some bugfixes and new features. No, it's not Gingebread. We repeat: It is not Gingerbread. The list of improvements in Version 2.3.340.MB810.Verizon.en.USIBP_C_01.09.07P) is pretty damn long, though, and comprises:Preloaded Madden NFL football game.Preloaded Adobe Flash Player 10.1.Preloaded MyVerizon application (v5).Added Data Widget...

The Nexus One will be getting its Android 2.3 Gingerbread update "in a few weeks," says Google's Reto Meier. That's in contradiction to at least two unsourced reports today, one of which has since been spiked, that said it was rolling out right now. On Twitter, Meier responded: The Nexus One OTA isn't happening just yet - should be coming in a few weeks. If you've hacked your Nexus One to hell...

The Samsung Nexus S will be available on T-Mobile USA starting Dec. 16. In the UK, you can get it at Carphone warehouse starting Dec. 20. Pricing still has not been announced. Samsung's full press release is after the break.Update: Best Buy has announced pricing: Customers can purchase Nexus S for $529 as an unlocked phone without a contract. Nexus S optimized for T-Mobile’s network is available...

The Nexus S will be the first Android phone to ship with Gingerbread, and Google's put together a nice little video featuring the backstory of the device, as well as more on Gingerbread. It's a good look at the "pure Google" experience. Check it out. [Google Blog]

Google's long-awaited e-reader service has gone semi-live this morning. It's not called Google Editions as previously believed. Books and are available online, and Android, the iPhone and iPod touch, the Barnes & Noble Nook and Sony eReader. You'll need be running at least Android 2.1 to take advantage. (The good news is that some 83 percent of all Android phones are at least on Eclair.) The...

Gingerbread is finally here, folks. Google has just released the SDK -- that's the software development kit, the building blocks for the OS. We're about to dive headfirst into this guy, but here are the big strokes: UI refinements Faster, better keyboard Better power management Task manager is easier to get to. Internet calling -- SIP support! Near-field communications (NFC)...

Seesmic for Android -- the Twitter client of choice for a certain Android Central editor -- just got an update to Version 1.5. And if you haven't tried Seesmic yet, it's time to rectify that. With the update you now have: A new UI: Refresh, compose and search buttons are front and center, no longer hidden under menu button. Post to Salesforce Chatter. Autocomplete usernames when you type...

For all you folks running the CyaongenMod brand of custom ROM -- and if you're not, you really should give them a shot -- know that CM6.1 has just be released. Released as in stable Android 2.2.1, ready to go, flash at your convenience.And the list of supported phones is large -- and growing: Nexus One, Droid, Dream/Sapphire, Hero, Desire, Incredible, Espresso (myTouch 3G Slide), Supersonic (Evo...

The question on everybody's lips going into this week is "Will we finally see Gingerbread?" Our answer:Maybe. Let's recap:Google's Andy Rubin is speaking Monday at All Things D. And there's a pretty good chance he'll finally give us some actual news.Notion Ink -- which has had a tablet in the works for a year or so now but hasn't yet produced -- says on its blog that Dec. 6 "is another big day...

For those of you dying to get your hands on an official Android 2.2 build for the Sprint Epic 4G, it looks like one has found its way onto at least one phone. The update, which appears to be build DK28, brings the phone up to Android 2.2.1. Doesn't look like it's being pushed to a large number of phones yet -- in fact, the total as we see it so far is one, and it appears to be a dev unit -- so...

For all you Comcast subscribers out there waiting on the Comcast Mobile and Xfinity apps for Android, listen up. (Erm, or just keep reading).We're still waiting on the Xfinity Mobile App (aka Comcast Mobile App 3.0), and the Comcast Mobile App Android 2.0 release (there's a mouthful) is now slated for Dec. 7 release -- yes, another delay.In the meantime, we've basically got the user manuals,...

If you're rocking the "beta" version of Swype (we put beta in quotes because if it didn't come preloaded on your phone, it's the only version you're legally supposed to be using -- nudge nudge, wink know, know what I mean?), note that it just got and update, and it's one you need to pay attention to. Here's the full changelog:INSTALLER v.1.1.14896Revised installer workflow. Users can now enable...

What do you get for the friend or loved one who's always on the road? Android accessories to help them on the road, of course! If you're an Android road warrior or know someone who is (they're easy to spot -- look for the gear bag), you'll know that you can never have enough chargers, cases, cards and cables while you're on the go. It's a matter of survival, really. Join us after the break as...

If you just have to get that "Related" tab into your Android Market and can't wait any longer, you can force it to update on your phone, if it's running Froyo. All you have to do is go to Menu>Settings>Applications>Manage applications>Market (you might have to hit the "all" tab first) and then clear data on the Android Market app. Re-launch it, and you should have the "Related" or "...

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